Vindicator
by Dosudro
Summary: The pain of loss drives us to do the unthinkable sometimes. Take a look into the life of one such person as he reminisces about the actions he's taken and the results that followed. AU / OOC / First Fic / Self-reflection / Unconventional writing style after the prologue. Companion story up.
1. Prologue pt 1: The Exam

Disclaimer:

I do not own Bleach. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who finds this story.

This story is an AU with a high likelihood of OOC behavior. I started this years ago as an original concept for submission as a short story through a publisher that a friend of mine runs. I have recently re-tooled this to be a Bleach FF, so please bear with me. This is my very first entry, ever, anywhere.

_Italics denote internal speech. _

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Prologue pt. 1: The Exam

The simple room used for interrogations was dimly lit, throwing shadows everywhere. There was a somewhat musty odor in the air and the only noise in the room came from the scraping chairs. Two men sat across from one another, eying each other with thinly veiled contempt, an uncomfortable silence hanging between them. The younger of the two looked to be in his early twenties, well-built but not overly muscular. His ruddy orange hair giving off a party-boy look that didn't match with his demeanor. The other was a much older man, grizzled and a bit gaunt. Age had not been kind to him, but in his line of work it was to be expected. His greying, wispy hair was cut short to keep it out of the way. It was the eyes that gave it away. This man had lived through much and earned his place in the world, even if that place was to scour the dregs for fresh blood.

"What is a Target?" The voice was gruff and sounded bored; after all he'd been through this part of the examination countless times. He'd let them sit for a while, get their nerves on edge. Try to rile them up with anxiety and then ask the first question completely without warning.

"A Target is one who has committed several egregious crimes against people who have caused no harm; either direct or indirect" a standard reply from the younger man. He sounded nonchalant, but if the look in his amber eyes was anything to go by, he was tense.

"Correct. A textbook response, try to be a little more original with the remaining answers." _How many times do I have to keep listening to the same garbage? It's almost as if they're taking a test, no thought, just mindlessly regurgitating their training. If I'd said that during my… _Shaking his head the older man moved on, hoping for something more out of this one. "Next question. What is a Vindicator?"

_What gives old man? I gave you the exact answer to the question you asked. Nothing more, nothing less. What did you want, a damn book? _The younger man ground his teeth before answering. It wouldn't look too good to lash out at this stage. His training was almost finished and he'd put up with worse just to get this far. "A Vindicator is the one responsible for meting out punishment of Targets."

The older man sighed, _I guess I should've expected that kind of response after his first answer. Look at him, a punk like him would never have made it in my day. My trainers would've killed him for his lack of respect or effort. _"Why do Vindicators need to bring punishment to Targets?"

"A Vindicator must properly punish their Target to bring peace to those who were wronged." All things considered, he was doing pretty well. _I haven't blown up on this annoying old fart and the questions are simple as hell. _He let a small smirk slide onto his face.

"Yes, but why!?" The older man practically barked out, _This boy has just about pushed me too far._

If the younger man was shaken, he didn't show it. The only noticeable change was the smirk disappearing and a tightness around his eyes. "A Vindication must be performed to ease the suffering of those who were wronged by the Target. This allows for the wronged souls to pass along peacefully and forces the Target to pass on as well, thus ending the chain of damage caused by that particular Target." His voice was oozing contempt by the time he finished speaking, but the object of his malice wasn't the older man. His thoughts were inward, looking back to a time when he was a child. It may have been ten years, but it was still a very raw wound.

A blink, nothing else. _Finally! The boy shows some passion. His motives are clearly driven by a deep-seated pain. _"Very good. You understand the basics of why you must perform your duties. Now, what are the core rules of the Vindicator code of conduct?"

"There is no formal code of conduct, only simple rules that must be followed to avoid unnecessary attention from the media and law enforcement agencies. A Vindication must not have a witness; Targets must not be made aware of their status until a Vindication is being performed and a Vindicator must not become personally involved with a Target." His eyes were still showing that his thoughts were elsewhere. The answer was automatic.

_He's still re-living it. That has to be a seriously strong trauma to make him go on auto-pilot like that. There is hope for this one after all. _"Correct. The rules are simple, so do not break them. All Targets are people without any close relatives or dependents, so as to keep the complications to a minimum. You are deemed worthy to become a Vindicator, dismissed!"

The older man waits a few minutes for his examinee to come back to the present and process that last statement. As the door closes he breathes out a sigh. "That started off like shit, but I think he's got some real potential." Turning to the shadowy wall that he knew to be a cleverly disguised two-way mirror he makes his thoughts known for the recording and the audience behind the glass.

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**AN: I've had the skeleton to this short story worked up for almost seven years now, but never had the urge to really do much with it. I decided to re-tool my existing story into a Bleach FF because of my love for Bleach and because I think there are characters that can fit into what I was intending.**

**All my thanks to my wife for encouraging me to write this story in the first place so long ago when she served as my first reader and critic.**


	2. Prologue pt 2: Behind the glass

[Words in brackets refer to side scene from prologue pt. 1.]

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Prologue pt. 2: Behind the glass

In a word, Spartan. That was the only way to describe the room that was adjacent to the interrogation room. The bland walls were stark white, though one would never be able to tell thanks to the dim lighting from the recessed ceiling lights. There were no hanging decorations aside from a single wall clock showing the time in multiple parts of the world. Comparatively speaking, the digital clock looked oddly out of place next to the simplicity of the rest of the room. There were a few chairs off to the side next to a small sitting table. On the other side of the table was a small open area with an outlet on the wall. The viewing wall was on the opposite side of the chairs and table. Nearly the entire wall was two-way glass, specially crafted to need a certain intensity light to see through to the other side. The glass stopped just above waist height, about four feet from the floor. Below that there was handrail that jutted out into the room by a few inches for spectators to hold onto and lean against without touching the glass.

Two voices we're quietly responding to one another while watching the exam. One of them belonging to a middle-age man and the other to a younger female. While his was silky smooth and possessing an almost hypnotic tone, hers was a husky, flat sounding voice that certainly didn't match her looks.

"He certainly doesn't look like much, does he?" She said while making a hand motion towards the glass.

"Just be patient, looks aren't always what they seem. If it came down to a straight up brawl, there aren't too many people I'd pick over him. I hear he was even able to work over Zaraki." As he finished that last point he let out a small laugh. It was worth it to make the effort to recruit him.

["A Target is one…]

"Sir, really? He sounds like he's reading a manual." A look of open disdain on her face. Shaking her head as she went from looking askance at the man then back to watching through the glass.

"Be quiet and listen Ms Aivirrne. Listen past his words and try to feel his emotions."

Going back to the young man in the other room, she can't help but wonder why Dr. Aizen was so obsessed with him. He's fit, apparently a good fighter but that's it. He really has nothing else going for him. He's just some punk.

[...caused by that particular Target."]

Aizen smirked as he observed the pain in the young man's dead eyes. _Yes, he'll do wonderfully._

"Dr. Aizen? You're smiling, just what is it that is so fascinating about this one?" Loly asked while trying her damnedest to hold down the blush at seeing his smile. "What pain is he talking about that could shut his mind down like that?

Turning away from the glass, Aizen couldn't help but feel like everything was going according to plan. "Ms Aivirrne, you've read his background as well as his psychological profile, correct? His mother died in front of him while he was just nine years old. They were walking home from the local dojo where he practiced karate one night when they were approached by a man with a gun. The man demanded her purse and anything else valuable on her person. When he wasn't satisfied he grabbed her causing the boy to fight back. At this point he back-handed the boy with his gun and went to shoot him when the his mother stepped in front of the gun. She was killed instantly and the force of her fall coupled with the trauma of being struck with the gun caused the boy to pass out underneath his now deceased mother. They never did catch the killer."

Throughout that entire speech Loly's eyes never left his face. She watched as he spoke with an almost reminiscent tone and smile on his face. "How do you know so much about what happened? I don't remember any of that being in his file. All it says is, mother was murdered in front of him and the killer is unknown and presumed to be at large."

"Come now my dear, surely you don't think I made all that up? His file is, how shall I say this, incomplete. It's like that on purpose, you see I actually know who the killer is." Aizen's smirk only grew wider at the almost comically large eyes Loly was making at that statement. "You know who he is too, he works here for me after all. We've been partners for a very long time."

Loly's brain could barely function it was so overloaded. But there was one thing she did pick up on. "Wait, you said he works here and you've been partners for a very long time. That has to mean..."

"Ah, you've caught on I see. What can I say, Gin wasn't always the calm and quiet type. He confided in me what happened shortly after and I've kept a close eye on this young man ever since. He's an ideal specimen for this project. One where I finally have all the pieces to see exactly what is going on with him. No longer will I have to work with incomplete information, or sub-par individuals picked up of the street."

"There is something I don't understand though. How is it that his mother's killer works in the same place he's been training for the past two years and he not notice?"

"That's actually really simple. According to his private consultations with your sister, he has admitted that the only thing he remembers of that night is his mother's scream and the sound of the gun. Apparently the strike damaged his memories enough to remove all traces of Gin. Quite fortunate for us, wouldn't you agree?" Aizen went back to watching the young man just sit there after being dismissed. It really was quite an amusing show.

_I'm going to have to have a little talk with my sister about these chats she's had behind my back, _thought Loly grimly.

[...some real potential."]

Aizen reached out and pressed a carefully hidden button underneath the glass as he watched the interviewer turn towards them. "That'll be all Baraggan. Thank you for your hard work." Releasing the button he turns back to see the harsh expression on Loly's face. "Is there something wrong?"

Snapping out of her internal tirade against her sister, Loly nearly fell over at the sound of Aizen's voice. "N-no sir, nothing. Just thinking about what's coming next. I'll be on my way now sir, I have some reports to take care of now that Baraggan is finished."

Taking a moment to watch her go, Aizen continued to sport his little smile. _Yes, everything is moving along very much according to plan._

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**AN: Phew, okay. Small confession. This entire second half to the prologue is completely original thanks to me re-tooling this story to be a Bleach FF. You will likely notice a very distinct difference in writing styles as technically they were written years apart.**

**So yeah, bad guys are bad. Mr. Creepy evil dude makes his appearance and we get a rather deep look into Ichigo's wound. Yes, I know, I still haven't actually named him, that's on purpose. My original plot line had no names at all. Now that the prologue is over we'll be getting back to the original short story I wrote up all those years ago.**

**Parting note, please let me know what you think, either reviews or PMs. I'm still very new to this kind of thing and any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!**


	3. First Entry: Inaugural Letdown

First Entry: Inaugural Letdown

Since everything is still fresh, I'm expected to record this all down in honor of my first mission. I wish I could say that I'm riding high right now, but sadly this is not the case. The euphoric feeling I was expecting, the _rush_, if you will, just didn't come. Maybe it had to do with the Target that was selected. I was honestly expecting something, well… grander I guess.

When I received the orders for my very first mission I was practically bouncing off the walls. I was ecstatic, ready to finally start making the world a better place. I took the small report with me as I left our makeshift safe-house on the outskirts of town. Once I was outside, where I felt most comfortable, I started to open the sealed paper. I could barely keep my hands from shaking. Well, that's where everything started to go down hill, or "go to shit" as some would say.

The first thing that hit me was the information displayed on the page. Almost a "go here" and "eliminate bad guy" type thing. Literally, that was it. Like some damn video game. The one that recycles three kinds of missions over and over again. "Go kill this." "Escort this." "Scout this." The information was rather sparse, a description of the Target and a timetable of his daily habits. The Target's listed crimes? Pederasty and human trafficking. Gross. The timetable also showed that he frequently passed by a number of schools, so that meant that there was a high likelihood that he was scouting for more victims. At least his crimes managed to get my blood boiling again after the massive letdown at seeing such an underwhelming mission paper.

I decided to start my search at the nearby high-school. That was a problem itself, how to go searching for a criminal that targets young girls without looking like a criminal myself? "Hi there officer, I'm hunting a criminal that preys on young women, so that I can bake his brain. Would you like to help me?" Yeah right. I eventually settled on the stake-out approach. Luckily there was a small diner right around the corner of the school with a great view of the main entry.

So, I'm sitting there having a light salad to pass the time when I notice my Target slowly walking past the school yard, staring rather intently at the building. At this point, I'm excited and ready to go, but I have to wait until he makes a move that get's him out of sight. I can't afford to be seen subduing him as that would be a major blemish on my record. I can see my handler's face already, giving me the third degree over screwing up my very first assignment. Her black twin-tails moving side-to-side furiously as she shakes her head in frustration.

Anyway, I had to grab my chair to keep from jumping up and taking him out right then and there. After a few minutes of watching him, presumably scouting for either a victim or an access point to gain entry to the rounds, I realize something. At no point during his walking around the front of the building has he not been in full view of the public. As infuriating as it was, I had to wait. From there it only got worse.

He moved on from the school over to a local park, a playground, a daycare and finally a middle school. Always walking slowly by the front entrance and staring at whatever he was looking for. Not once was he out of sight. Not once. I'd been pretty much stalking the guy for five hours, moving from eatery to eatery, grabbing light snacks and water. I was seriously starting to lose my patience until I heard the sirens.

Apparently he heard them also because one moment he was walking slowly in front of the school and the next he was quick-stepping away form there like he'd left the oven on at home. I had to move carefully to give chase without being spotted, he'd slipped down a side alley a few streets down and I didn't want to give myself away just flying around the corner. I took a quick look while walking past the alley but didn't see anything, so I opted to make another pass. This time I could see a small hole in a fence towards the back of the alley.

Making my way through the fence I saw him sitting there leaning against a wall. His head was down and he was breathing a little heavily from the fast pace he'd used to get away from the school. A quick glance around showed that we were clearly alone, so this was my chance. I went over to him as quietly as I could and managed to place my hand on his forehead. I lifted his head to stare into his eyes and my breath caught. They were lifeless, not dead exactly, but there was no hint of intelligence at all in his eyes. No trace of whether or not he actually saw me, no resignation, nothing.

They say that whenever a Vindication is performed, the Target suffers through the experiences that they put their victims through. The greater the crimes, psychologically anyway, the greater the suffering. They tell you to prepare yourself for the most horrific screams you've ever heard. It'll all be over in a moment, but the screams will stay with you forever. What happened this time wasn't anything like they warned me about. It was, nothing. Well, almost nothing. His eyes went out of focus for a moment, locked with mine as they seemed to finally notice my presence and then he smiled. A small, ghost of a smile just before his body went rigid and his eyes snapped shut.

I was confused and more than a little worried that something went wrong for a while. I checked his eyes again and saw that they were completely dead this time. At least I had confirmation that I did what I was supposed to do. 'Focus the feeling of your pain in your mind and will with every bit of energy you can that your Target feels the pain of their crimes.' isn't exactly the most clear of instructions to follow, but apparently they work. I don't understand it, but that's not my place.

Anyway, I guess this is it. They can always let me know if I need to add anything or be more brief at my assessment.

[Scene Shift]

As the screen on the monitor goes blank, Aizen can't stop himself from smiling.

"Dr. Aizen? From what he describes, shouldn't his Target have suffered more? Something seems wrong." Loly turned away from the monitor where they just watched the video record of Ichigo's first assignment to look at Aizen.

"Yes, well. Mr Hirako, his first Target, was a failed experiment of mine back when we were first getting started with the project. He wasn't able to handle the training methods we used at the time. Eventually he snapped under the strain. He was locked up with a few other failed experiments for a short time before there was a failure with containment. Most were killed in the escape attempt, but he escaped along with one other, a female. He'll be sent along after her soon enough. We just have to wait for her to surface."

Loly quirked an eyebrow, "I thought they all died back then. Who was the other one?"

Aizen's smile lessened a bit causing Loly to gulp. "Her name is Sarugaki, she and Mr Hirako were close before they came here and during their stay with us. Once we find her, that will be his next assignment. Don't ask too many questions Ms Aivirrne, I will let you know what you need to know when you need to know it."

Visibly shaking from fear Loly could only nod her head as she left Aizen's office.

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**AN: Shout out to [Reader of a thousand tales] for deeming my insanity that I call a story worthy of a follow! Thank you! I would like to extend a personal invite to you good sir/madam to PM me with something you'd like to see in the story and I'll see what I can work out!  
**

**As you may have noticed, almost this entire chapter was told from a non-direct first person style. This is actually the style and framework for my original short story. I wrote close to five thousand words in this format before abandoning it due to lack of drive. I hope to be able to finish it now that I have more motivation. Thanks to all the readers, see you next time!**


	4. Second Entry: Confusion, Pain and Rage

Second Entry: Confusion, Pain and Rage

Well, looks like I'm doing another one of these. Not sure why they suddenly decided to have me do another one. I've gone on, hell I don't even know how many missions now. Somewhere in the twenties I gave up counting. The number isn't important anyway, it's the results that matter. Scumbags are dead, that's what it's all about. Rapists, murderers, abductors, hell even some home-grown terrorists that felt like they could blow other people up just because they didn't play the same game of make-believe. Yeesh. I feel dirty touching them now, but it must be done. Monsters have to be purged.

Guess I got a little side-tracked. Back to the point. This one was bad. I still can't get her face out of my mind. Wait, lemme start over.

I got this mission the same as always. Head to the safe-house, check the logs, send the 'ready' signal and wait for Loly. Annoying little shit that she is. Yeah I know since she watched the last one, she'll likely watch this one too. Doesn't matter, if she could do this job, they wouldn't need me. Stay off my back, you midget bitch! I get my shit done, it may not always be pretty, but I've maintained a perfect record, haven't I? One damn time I mention she reminded me of my little sister and she nearly tore the damn room apart. Never again.

Anyway, I got the mission slip from little Miss Asshole and went about my normal routine. Head outside to enjoy the breeze in peace and check the mission packet. I got a really bad feeling as soon as I saw that it was a female Target. I'm not good with those. I keep telling myself that a Target is just a Target. That they no longer have any identity other than Target, but it's so hard to get past hurting women. Every time they scream I hear my mother. Ms Mallia says that I should open up more about my mother to help get past it, but it just hurts so much, and to have every female Target sound like my mother when I use the Touch on them… It's almost too much. Ms Mallia, if you watch these too, I think I need a break. Loly, I know we don't see eye-to-eye, but please do something. I'm not sure how much more I can take.

Okay, erm, right! Bad feeling, another female Target. That feeling only gets worse as I read the rest. Name: Sarugaki, Hiyori. Height: ~4.5ft. Weight: ~60lbs. She's tiny! At this point I'm short of breath, I can barely even stand. Hair color: Blonde. She's almost a dead ringer for Yuzu, are you kidding me?! I have to Touch a girl, well woman, that's so much like one of my little sisters? I had to go for a walk just to sort myself out. About an hour later I get back to the final few entries. Crimes: Violent assaults, many ending in massive head trauma, damage caused by blunt, wooden object. No confirmed fatalities. Last known whereabouts: edge of town, near an abandoned warehouse. Known accomplices: Hirako, Shinji.

That last bit didn't hit me until recently. At the time I was too stressed out to make the connection that she and the child rapist from my first mission were connected. I guess she fit his preferences and since she was legal he didn't have to worry. Enough of that. Uhm… yeah, so after another walk to get myself psyched up, I decided to head out to find this warehouse.

Once I make it out there I can tell that everything out there is falling apart. How does someone hang around buildings that are literally missing large chunks of walls and roofs, much less actually _sleep_ in one? It's not safe and it can't be comfortable. That only makes my bad feeling that much worse. It's dusk, safety lights are flicking on back towards the not abandoned area a little ways back, and I've got to search a condemned warehouse for a woman that is roughly the size of my innocent little sister? Yeah, nothing wrong here at all. Just another day for justice to be done! If only…

[Ichigo grabs his face and presses quite roughly on the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger]

Well if wishes we're dollars, we'd all be millionaires, or however the hell that stupid saying goes.

[Ichigo drops his hand back to his lap, returning his gaze to the camera]

So, I'm just entering the warehouse, it's dark as hell. Shadows are all over the place, there's broken glass on the floor from all the busted out windows. I can see roof support beams hanging down, some of them even completely detached from the ceiling on one end. It's pretty quiet, so every sound I make seems that much louder. It's creepy as hell and the extra tension from having to move carefully has my nerves shot. Honestly, my sense of time from then is gone, but I'd say it took about an hour just to find anything of note. When I say of note, I mean something that wasn't debris. I really wish I hadn't. I found bedding tucked away in a small room down the hall from the main warehouse storeroom. This room actually looked to have rather solid walls, so I can only assume it was a safety shelter for emergencies.

On one of the walls I saw a list of names, all of them with scratches through them. I can't remember all of them, but one really stuck out at the time. SHINJI. It was written with the largest letters and easily had the deepest scratches through it. I could also see what looked like bloodstains all over the wall around the names and on the floor under them. I'm guessing she used a piece of debris that she found to gouge the names into the wall all the while tearing her hands up. I couldn't stay in that room long, so I backtracked a little and found a hallway that I hadn't checked yet.

[Ichigo takes a long pause, breathing deeply.]

This is the room I found her in. Her face was bloody, tribal like markings made their way all around her eyes and mouth, even down to her neck. Where the rope was. She, she'd hung herself from a busted roof support and apparently was alive long enough to tear at her face and neck. I can't get her face out of my head. Every time I close my eyes, I can still see it. I wish I could've gone to Ms Mallia first, but no, this time I just HAD to make a recording. That's it, this one is done. To hell with it.

[The camera abruptly shuts off as Ichigo's foot smashes into the lens]

[Scene shift]

"He's wonderful. Simply wonderful. It's a shame that Ms Sarugaki took the coward's way out though. I can just picture the pain in his eyes after having to kill her by his own hand." Aizen leaned back into his chair, eyes closed as he imagines just that.

A sharp knock on the door breaks him out of his reverie. "Enter." Aizen says as he turns to see the door opening rather quickly.

"Sir, there's been a disturbance. We've lost contact with security and Ms Aivirrne is missing." Aizen's eye's go large at the words coming out of his right-hand man's mouth.

"What's going on Gin?"

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**AN: Another shout out going to [fallowell] for being the first to favorite! I extend to you the same offer as before to [Reader of a thousand tales]. Feel free to send a PM with something you wish to know or would like to see and I'll do what I can. **

**Wow, at the time of this writing I have broken the five thousand word mark! I honestly can't believe just how much is flowing out for this story. For those of you who may be feeling a bit lost, I have changed the main tag from "mystery" to "suspense," as I feel it fits better. We are moving to the conclusion, but do NOT expect a long, "Ichigo kicks Aizen's ass" sequence. That is not how this story is meant to go.**

**Answers will follow after the conclusion, I hope to tie up loose ends in a slightly unconventional way.**


	5. Final Entry: The Interrogation

Final Entry: The Interrogation and Closure

[Camera shows Ichigo in a straight-jacket, sitting at a table.]

"Let it be known for the record that my name is Shunsui Kyoraku, badge number G1308. My partner is with me, he will now introduce himself."

"Let it be known that my name is Jushiro Ukitake, badge number G1313. I am serving as witness and will not participating in this questioning."

Voice of Shunsui, "Now, let's start things simple. Can you tell me your na-"

The door to the interrogation rooms opens rather quickly and a squeaking sound can be heard. A moment later a cart wheels into the frame. On the cart is a TV and a small stereo. A small bespectacled woman quickly hooks up the power to the TV and the stereo while adjusting it to face Ichigo.

Shunsui, "Nanao, you really should've knocked. We've already started recording."

Nanao finishes making the connections and turns to Shunsui. "I told you that I was on my way, I asked for just a few minutes. YOU decided to jump the gun, so don't put the blame on me." She walks out of frame and a loud slam can be heard.

Voice of Jushiro, "You really shouldn't have teased her Shunsui. You know how she gets about playing everything by the letter. I told you it was a bad idea to start before she got here."

Shunsui, "I know Jushiro, I just couldn't help it. It's just so fun. Anyway, back to our guest here. Can you tell me your name?"

Ichigo, who has been watching the display in front of him with a little mirth merely stares at the camera. A small shake of his head is all they get.

Shunsui, "Listen kid. We're not here to get you, if that's what you are thinking. The restraints are merely for our protection. You are incredibly dangerous and we have reason to believe you to be mentally unstable as well. If you just answer our questions everything will go that much smoother."

Ichigo gives the camera a hard glare for several moments before speaking, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Shunsui, "You don't mind if I call you Ichigo, do you?" After a small shake of Ichigo's head he continues. "Ichigo, we found you and several others outside of a building that exploded last night. Can you tell me what happened?"

Ichigo looks down at the table for a bit. "I honestly am not sure. One moment I'm having a meeting with Ms Mallia-"

Shunsui, "Would that be Dr. Menoly Mallia?

Ichigo scowls at the interruption. "Are you going to do that often? Ask me a question and then interrupt me?"

Shunsui, "Sorry Ichigo, but we have to make sure everything goes on record with no assumptions. Please confirm her identity if you can."

Ichigo's face eases up slightly as he sighs in frustration. "Yes, that's her name. Anyway, I was having a meeting with Ms Mallia for personal reasons when an alarm sounded. We both got up and checked hallway but couldn't see anything. We could hear the fire alarm but no people, so we just opted to head out the nearest escape.

That turned out to be a good thing, you see. Her office was tucked into a somewhat secluded spot for privacy reasons and it was a long way to get out. Right as we make it outside there was an explosion that blew out the windows in the management offices. Yes, before you ask, those windows were for Dr. Sosuke Aizen's office, and no I never really met him myself.

Ms Mallia was freaking out because we were the only ones outside and because her sister, Ms Loly Aivirrne, was known to stay close to Dr. Aizen."

Shunsui, "Ichigo, did you know Ms Aivirrne?"

"Yeah, I know her. She is my…, boss. So to speak."

Shunsui, "You don't have to be so vague. We know a quite a bit about what was going on there. We have three informants, well, two now. One of them died in the explosion. Let it be known for the record that Gin Ichimaru was found dead at the scene, he was one of our informants. His body was found next to Dr. Sosuke Aizen. Please continue Ichigo."

"Loly is my handler, my manager if you'd rather put it that way. She is the one responsible for giving me the assignments. So, Ms Mallia was a wreck and I was still somewhat numb from shock when I passed out. I think something hit me. Next thing I know, I'm wrapped up in this thing and people look at me like I'm going to rip their throats out."

Shunsui, "Well Ichigo, that's kind of our fault. We were making a move on Dr. Aizen when the explosion occurred. When you and Ms Mallia came out, we knocked you out and took you both into custody. I'd like for you to watch the TV there while I show you something." Shunsui's arm breaks into the frame hitting a few buttons on the TV, bringing it to life.

[A statuesque young woman with green hair can be seen on the TV]

"My name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. I was responsible for security at the research lab for Hueco Mundo enterprises. I made contact with detectives at Karakura PD when I couldn't stand what I was seeing anymore. Dr. Aizen and his lead researcher, Szayelaporro Granz, were looking into genetic modification of human beings. They were trying to create living weapons that could be militarized. As I understand it, they were using a combination of powerful drugs and modified viruses to unlock a very specific part of the brain. Only certain people were even susceptible to the treatment. Many of his first experiments died while under the effects of a psychotic rage.

At the time I believed that he was looking into treatments for mental instability since he had a psychiatrist on staff for reviewing their progress. I didn't find out the truth until much later, when a group of his experiments were being locked down for observation. I overheard doctors Aizen and Granz discussing how much better they were handling the conditioning. They were unstable, but hadn't exhibited the same psychotic rage as the previous subjects.

At this point I decided to try to help them get out, but something went wrong. Another security team stumbled onto us as we were almost out. I managed to push two of them out a window, a man and a young girl. The others and the second security team all died in a rather savage brawl. I was the only one of my team to make it out, but not before taking a rather nasty wound to the head." She points to the line of scar tissue underneath her eyes. It went from cheekbone to cheekbone.

"When I returned from the hospital I heard about the new kid that had everyone in an uproar. He handled the treatments and conditioning well. Apparently his own deep, mental scarring made him resistant to the damage that all the others suffered. The biggest problem was that he needed regular trips to the in-house psychiatrist just to keep him stable. I used the PTSD excuse to get an appointment with Ms Mallia myself so I could talk to her about what was going on.

While talking we confided in each other about our misgivings about what we were doing. Ms Mallia went along with my idea to contact the police after a particularly nasty episode with Ichigo. Apparently he'd been forced into eliminating a woman and he nearly snapped under the weight of the grief. He'd had intense flashbacks to the night of his mother's death and nearly lost control.

I spoke with a Captain Kyoraku and gave him everything I had along with tapes I got from Ms Mallia. The results are an exploded building and a few dead friends. Was it worth it? I'm not sure, but something had to be done to stop him."

Shunsui reaches over again and cuts off the TV. Ichigo is staring at the TV like he's going to rip it to pieces with his teeth. "Ichigo? I have one more thing. I'm going to play a tape that was delivered to us shortly after the explosion. I need you to listen to the entire thing. Alright?" His hand can be seen hitting a button on the stereo.

"My name is Gin. I've worked for Aizen for several years. I was one of his first experiments. The drugs he used in his little experiments, he tested on me first. I owed him a lot. He saved me from nasty addiction and promised to help find treatments for others as well. Not too long ago I got my hands on information that one of his drugs put me in a state where I killed a woman in front of her child. I'm not going to say how, but I kept digging until I found more and more about what was really going on. I've already rigged the building, now all I have to do is send this tape off. One last thing, please tell the kid I'm sorry. I wasn't myself at the time. Go figure that Aizen would track the kid down to use him. I only hope that he finds some peace with my death."

The silence in the room is deafening. Ichigo has a wild look in his eyes as his breathing goes erratic. Overcome by the stress he mercifully passes out.

Shunsui, "Well that was intense. For the record, Ichigo is not going to be charged for any crimes. He will be handed over to Karakura Mental Health and Wellness center for assessment and treatment. This ends the recording."

[Scene shift]

Ichigo is sitting in a circle of chairs. The room is quiet as they wait on the session to begin.

"Alright everyone, my name is Ms Arisawa. I'd like to get things started by everyone going around and telling us a little bit about why we're here. Remember, everyone here has a similar pain, so please let it out. Let's start with our new face, Mr Kurosaki, if you please."

Ichigo stands, he is no longer in a straight jacket, but he is wearing manacles. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. My mother was killed by a drug addict in front of me when I was nine." Sitting down he zones out the next few people talking until a young woman with a very soft voice speaks.

"My name is Orihime Inoue. My older brother died in my arms as I dragged him away from a car accident." She sits down again making eye contact with Ichigo causing both of them to blush slightly.

_Interesting, I'll have to make sure they stay together in their sessions. That's the most reaction I've seen out of either of them, _thought Tatsuki as she made a note in each of their charts. This could really help both of them.

* * *

**AN: Wow, I really did it! I managed to tie the final chapter and the Epilogue into one large chapter. This brings the final word count to over seven thousand words. I am most definitely not a writer, but this is something I just had to do. I hope everyone feels that I tied up all the loose ends.**

**While not stated directly, it is heavily implied that Loly died in the explosion, feel free to make your own assumptions. That's the point of a suspense story after all.**

**I was happy to squeeze in my little shameless plug for IchiHime fans. That little bit was a sudden flash of inspiration as I was wrapping up the big reveal.**

**Thanks again to all who read and stuck it out this far. I may or may not start up a drabble series after this. I just need to work out a skeleton. Take care everyone!**


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